How Does Sending an Electronic Fax Work Online?

In 2022, many people assume faxing has gone by the wayside. While it’s true that there are far fewer fax machines now than there were before the popularization of the internet, faxing is still a global industry. In the healthcare, legal, and financial services sectors, faxing remains a crucial part of day-to-day business operations.

It would be a mistake to assume that all of the businesses operating within these industries are maintaining legacy fax machines. Electronic faxing is now a much more popular option. Read on to find out how sending an electronic fax works online and learn why.

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Electronic Faxing: The Best of Both Worlds

Electronic faxing, or e-faxing, provides a perfect solution for businesses that need the added data security of faxing but want the convenience of email communication. Since sending an e-fax is a simple and secure way to send sensitive information online, this solution is appropriate even for highly regulated industries. E-faxes can be sent and/or accepted from anywhere with an internet connection, which makes it more efficient and cost-effective than maintaining legacy equipment in an office environment.

E-Faxing Options

People who want to start sending and receiving e-faxes have several options at their disposal. Some choose to maintain legacy equipment but to install a VoIP fax adapter, also referred to as an analog telephone adapter (ATA). Others prefer to handle everything via computer or mobile device through a web portal or email-to-fax service. All of these are simple, user-friendly ways to start sending e-faxes.

How to Use an ATA

Businesses that prefer to maintain their legacy fax machines but want to bring them up to speed with 21st-century technology can purchase ATA devices. These plug-and-play devices are designed for easy setup and, once they’re plugged in, they assign traditional fax machines IP addresses that allow them to communicate through secure cloud networks. 

ATAs can be used with any fax-enabled analog device, including multifunction printers. The best part is that there’s no additional employee training required because, once these machines are fax-enabled, people simply continue to use them in the same ways they always have.

How to Use an E-Faxing Web Portal

Sending faxes from a cloud-based web portal allows users to access their accounts from anywhere. All it takes is signing up with a reliable e-faxing service provider and learning the basics about how to use the program. Experienced service providers make a point of creating intuitive, user-friendly interfaces, so this poses few problems even for the less technologically inclined.

How to Send an E-Fax by Email

Email-to-fax services are similar to e-faxing web portals. The difference is that, instead of downloading an app or visiting a dedicated website, users simply sign up for an account using their work or personal email addresses then attach their e-faxing files to the emails and address them to the correct Fax over Internet Protocol (FoIP) address. Each user will also receive a dedicated IP number, making it possible to receive faxes from either other e-faxing devices or analog fax machines.

Making the Switch to E-Faxing Is Easy

Compared to maintaining and using an analog fax machine, making the switch to e-faxing is simple. All it takes is the help of a secure e-faxing service provider and a little extra training for employees. Most people can get used to sending electronic faxes in no time.

Check out: Reasons Why Printer Are Still Useful Today